Cigarette tray



Oct. 24, 1939. c. J. KETCHAM 2,177,142

CIGARETTE TRAY Filed July 21, 1937 Patented Oct. 24, 1939 UNITED}, STATES PATENT OFFICE 5 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in cigarette holders. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel type of cigarette holder that will support a cigarette without permitting 5 it to smoke or continue to burn.

Lighted cigarettes when laid upon a tray will smoke and continue to burn until consumed. Smoke arising from the lighted tip is usually annoying, and, if an attempt is made to put out 101 the lighted tip, disagreeable gummy accumulations form upon the tray which thereafter require scraping in order to clean the tray. On the other hand, the possibility of the cigarette dropping from the tray upon furniture or other com- 16. bustible material creates :a constant fire hazard.

An object of the present invention is to provide a simple and inexpensive but practical form of holder for a lighted cigarette'that will support a cigarette and prevent it from smoking or con- 20 tinuing to burn although keeping the tip lighted for several minutes.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a cigarette holder of a construction having means adapted to receive the lighted end of 5. the cigarette and hold the cigarette preferably in a vertical position with this lighted end extending downwardly, said means preferably being, in the form of a cylindrical wall adapted to firmly but gently grip the cigarette without in- 3.0 J'urying the lighted tip, whereby this tip will remain lighted for several minutes without smoking before becoming extinguished. Any undesirable accumulations of gummy substances and disagreeable odors will be eliminated. The tray will receive only the ashland will be always kept relatively clean and remain polished.

Specifically, it is an object of the invention to provide this cylindrical wall of an interior diameter substantially equal to the diameter of 40 the cigarette so that the cigarette may be inserted therein and be gently but firmly held, it also being an important feature that this wall be provided preferably of non-corrosive material that will remain clean and prevent accumulations 45 along the wall which otherwise would injure the glowing tip as it is inserted therein.

It will be understood that the cigarette holder of the present invention is so designed with respect to the manner of holding the cigarette that 50 the mere insertion of the cigarette therein with the lighted tip brought just below the lower edge of the wall will hold the same glowing for several minutes without smoking. It will also be understood that the present invention is directed 55 to a novel cigarette holder made of non-corrosive material so that accumulations along the wall will not occur to hamper the free movement of the cigarette into or out of the holder.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following detailed de- 5 scription when taken in connection with accompanying drawing forming a part hereof.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view of a device embodying the present invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the same;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical section of the portion receiving and supporting the cigarette;

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the device; and,

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the ejector in operation.

It may be mentioned at the outset that the cigarette holder disclosed herein may be supported in various Ways upon ash trays or like objects, and consequently, I do not intend to 2'0 limit the use of the holder in connection with the type of tray shown.

Referring to the drawing, a cigarette holder l is provided in the form of a cylindrical vertical wall 2 having a substantially smooth inner sur- 2'5 face 3 and one end flared as illustrated at 4. Cylindrical wall 2 may be tubular and of a depth sufiicient to firmly but gently grip a cigrette and hold it in vertical position with its lighted end downward. The inner opening formed by the smooth surface 3 of wall 2 is preferably of a diameter equal to the diameter of a cigarette to be supported, as illustrated in Fig. 1. Flared end 4 serves to guide the insertion of the lighted tip into and through opening 3. It is proposed to furnish tubular wall 2 of such a depth as to grip the cigarette and hold it in its position after the lighted or glowing tip has been brought below the lower edge 5 of this wall 2.

For the purpose of illustration, cigarette holder l is fixedly carried by a supporting arm 6 that curves gently from the center toward the outer edge of a tray 1 and then inwardly again to be secured at its center 8. The manner of fixing or securing cigarette holder I to supporting arm 6, as indicated at 8 in Fig. 1, may be readily changed.

Cigarette holder l is made preferably of noncorrosive material, such as stainless steel. I find that the use of non-corrosive material in this particular instance prevents ash or gummy substances, such as unburned tobacco, from clinging to the smooth inner surface 3 of wall 2 or to its lower edge 5 when the lighted cigarette is inserted into or removed from this holder I. Keeping surface 3 free from obstruction will permit the cigarette to be inserted without being injured or without the lighted tip being destroyed.

In Figs. 1 and 2, I have shown a cigarette designated I inserted in holder I having its lighted tip II extending below lower edge 5. This tip H will remain lighted for several minutes after the cigarette has been inserted in holder I and will not produce smoke or continue to burn above lower edge 5. The mere insertion of the cigarette into holder I will keep it supported therein. The lighted tip II will remain suspended below edge and will not be brought into contact with any surface. Hence, this lighted tip will be allowed to glow a maximum period before being extinguished. Continued burning is prevented by the relatively tight but gentle grip of wall 2.

It seems that this pressure by wall 2 upon the cigarette tends to prevent combustion beyond edge 5. Except for the dry ash that may drop from tip II the device is kept clean, and sticky or gummy substances that must be scraped loose after drying are eliminated. The tightnessfof the fit of a cigarette in holder I may be just suflicient to keep the cigarette in a vertical position without falling through.

An ejector 9 may be employed toremove the cigarette from holder I without requiring the hands to touch the cigarette. This is accomplished by providing a link mechanism in the form of links I2 and I3 pivoted at I4 and I5, respectively, to ejector 9 and pivoted at I6 and II, respectively, to supporting arm 6. Link I3 may extend outwardly at I8 so as to carry a button I9. The arrangement permits the ejector to rise when button I9 is depressed so that the tip of the ejector enters cylindrical wall 2 and lifts the cigarette therein whereby this cigarette may topple over the flare wall 4 into tray I. I find that it is undesirable to grip the mouth end of the cigarette smoked by others. This ejector 9 advantageously permits the removal of a cigarette from holder I without requiring the hands to be brought into contact with the cigarette. The manner in which ejector 9 acts to remove a cigarette from holder I is illustrated in Fig. 5. While the glowing tip II will remain lighted for several minutes before being extinguished, smoke will not arise from this burning tip. Consequently, an individual may advantageously allow his cigarette to remain upon this holder for a period of time without being required to relight it or to put it out at the time it is placed upon the tray in order to avoid the smoke that arises from the lighted tip while the cigarette is not in use and is in the holder for a short period.

Without further elaboration, the foregoing will so fully explain the gist of my invention that others may, by applying current knowledge, readily adopt the same for use under varying conditions of service without eliminating certain features, which may properly be said to constitute the essential items of novelty involved, which items are intended to be defined and secured to me by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A device for supporting a lighted cigarette comprising a holder for a cigarette, and an ejector device for ejecting the cigarette from said holder comprising an ejecting member and manually operable mechanism for swinging said ejecting member into the path of a cigarette in said holder.

2. A device for supporting a lighted cigarette comprising a holder for a cigarette, a supporting arm for said holder, a tray, means for securing said supporting arm upon said tray, and an ejec-,

tor device carried by said supporting arm and having manually operable means for swinging said ejector device into the path of a cigarette in said holder.

3. A device for supporting a lighted cigarette comprising a holder for a cigarette, a supporting arm for said holder, an ejector device, and means for supporting said ejector device upon said supporting arm, said meansbeing adapted for swinging said ejector device into and out of position to eject a cigarette from said holder.

4. A device for supporting a lighted cigarette comprising a holder for a cigarette, a supporting arm .for said holder, an ejector member, and means for carrying said ejector member on said supporting arm, said means comprising pivotally mounted link members arranged normally to drop and keep said ejector away from said holder but adapted to swing said ejector into the path of a cigarette in said holder to eject the same therefrom when said means are actuated.

5. A device of the class described comprising a holder for supporting a lighted cigarette substantially in a vertical position with its lighted tip positioned downwardly, a supporting arm for said holder, a gravity mounted ejector member normally positioned out of cigarette ejecting relation with said holder, and means for pivotally swinging said ejector into and out of position to eject a cigarette from said holder. 1

' CHARLES J. KE'I'CHAM. 

